Method of treating iron or steel articles.



UNITEDSTATES PATENT orr on.

GEOE'GE F. WESCOTT, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK. ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO INTER- NATIONAL ACHESON GRAPHITE COMPANY, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, A

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF TREATING IRON OB, STEEL ARTICLES.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. Wnsoo'r'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Treating Iron or Steel Articles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the treatment of iron or steel articles for the purpose of protecting their surfaces from atmospheric and other corrosive influences.

The invention further relates to an improved construction of .metallic vessels or F utensils, having an interior coating of baked enamel and an exterior graphitic coating.

In the practice of my method I prefer to proceed as follows A suitable grade of electricfurnace graphite is ground or otherwise thoroughly incorporated with a varnish consisting essentially of flaxseed oil, china wood oil or other suitable vegetable oil, rosin, or a resinate, and a suitable drier, the proportion of graphite to the varnish being such as to yield a paint which is sufficiently fluid to permit its easy and uniform application to the metal. Proportions of ingredients which have been found satisfactory are as follows: One part by weight of electric furnace graphite is thoroughly incorporated with four parts of a vehicle comprising:

Flaxseed or china wood 0!! 25 parts I weight.

Calcium reslnate Manganese borate 0.5 Sugar of lead l..-

I I F The iron or steel is coated with the above composltlon by dipping, brushing or other procedure, and is then baked in an over or kiln. have found a temperature of 300 F., maintained for a period of one hour and forty mlnutes, to yield very satisfactory results wlth the specific composltlon above described.

The resulting graphitic coating is highly resistant to corrosive agencies and oven to acids, and becomes quite lustrous when burnished. It is a valuable characteristic of this treatment that the protective character of the coating, as regards oxidation of iron or steel, persists after the visible coating has been removed by prolonged use, abrasion or other influences. This may perhaps be attributed to a penetration of the graphite Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 17, 1910. Serial No. 549,899.

Patented July 30, 1912.

constituent of the composition into the surface of the metal under the influence of theprolonged heat treatment, and is particularly marked if the graphite employed is such as may be prepared by heating anthracite coal containing some 10% of ash to a graphitizing temperature in an electric furnace, the product being thereafter ground to a state of extreme subdivision. I have observed that the above-mentioned protective action is not obtainable with all commercial grades of graphite, and is not afforded by such grades as coalesce readily under pressure.

My improved vessel or utensil comprises a sheet-iron or steel vessel of'any desired form, coated internally with an acid-resisting baked enamel of any of the well known compositions and externally coated with. the graphitie composition, baked or heated as above described. This construction is found in practice to possess certain well defined advantages as follows: It is well understood that too high or too prolonged heating of an enameled article yields a hard enamel but one which is liable tochip or scale, owing to imperfect adherence to the coated surface. I have found that when the interior of the vessel only is enameled, the exterior being coated with the graphitic composition, the enamel may be more strongly baked than is the case when the exterior also is enameled. A possible explanation of this observed fact is that the imperfect adherence of the enamel when strongly baked is due to the liberation of occluded gases from the heated metal surfaces; and that when the opposite surface of the sheet metal is provided with a coating which is permeable to these gases, they are afforded a means of escape, at least to such extent that they are not driven to the enameled surface. At the same time the exterior surface receives the protective heat treatment described, and during this treatment is safeguarded from oxidation.

I claim:

1. The method of treating surfaces of iron or steel, which consists in applying to, such surfaces a composition containing non-f coalescing electric-furnace graphite and a suitable vehicle, and-thereafter baking the article. i I

2. The method of treating of iron In testimoly whereof, I afiix my signature or steel, which consists in applying thereto in presence'o two a composition containing a non-coalescing electric-furnace phite and a vehicle com- GEORGE Q 5 prising a vegeta 1e oil, a resinous material, Witnesses:

and adrier, and thereafter baking the ar- Jenna W. Parsons,

ticle. E. A. Wmvna.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent llo. 1,034,174, granted July 30, 1912, upon the application of George F. Wescott, of Bnflalo, New York, for an improvement in Methods of Treating Iron or Steel Articles, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 38, for the word orerfread oven; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 8th day of October, A. D., 1912.

[smn] c. c. BILLINGS,

i Acting Commissioner of Patents.

Q I mam.

2. The method of treating of iron In testimoly whereof, I afiix my signature or steel, which consists in applying thereto in presence'o two witnmes. a. composition containing a non-coalescing electric-furnace phite and a vehicle com- GEORGE Q 5 prising a vegeta 1e oil, a resinous material, Witnesses:

and adrier, and thereafter baking the ar- JAMES W. Parsons,

ticle. E. A. Wmvnn.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent IiTo. 1,034,174, granted July 30, 1912, upon the application of George F. Wescott, of Bnflalo; News York, for an improvement in Methods of Treating Iron or Steel Articles, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 38, for the word otrer-read oven; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 8th day of October, A. D., 1912.

[smn] c. o. BILLINGS,

i Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

